Adaluza (and others interested)- got my progesterone back- it is in normal range, but too low for a "good, strong ovulation" according to my acupuncturist. I do not know what my OB/GYN will say yet. I had the acupuncturist order the hormone tests because saved me hundreds of dollars that Kaiser marks up for "reading" the tests, as this sort of stuff is not covered on insurance. AF is most definitely making her arrival tonight. I should have known right away when my temps started dropping, but I started looking at pregnancy charts on FF and saw how many went down before positive tests and let myself get carried away. Feeling down (and PMS) and worried about getting older (I will be 36 in a couple of months) just making all of this harder. Still hoping for the best. Hopefully acupuncture will change some of these hormones for the better (and hopefully it won't take too long). Thanks for listening.

Me College Literature Professor (36) and DH (35) married 7/05, together since 1/99; Mom to two lovely and fierce little girls: DD1 2/06 and, after 18 months TTC (and a couple years NTNP), DD2 born 7/3/12! Dedicated AP parent who is for selective (most) vaccination.

Hi CA Country Girl, I'm sorry that the results weren't what you were hoping, but it sounds like a very good sign, actually, that the levels are considered normal. People with normal levels must get pregnant. I hope that they give you some suggestions as to how to boost it to super levels and that the acupuncture works quickly! Take care of yourself! That's what I feel I have control over, so that's what I try to focus on.

Chapluqa: Congratulations! That's fantastic, and I look forward to seeing you and your sticky little one over on the graduates thread.

Cath: You're sweet, you said you missed me! I'm still here on and off, I read occasionally but my computer has been slow recently, so it takes a while to load MDC pages.

Bel: It makes me happy to see you posting. I will be even happier when you're posting in the graduates thread, but I'm glad you check in once in a while so I can see how you're doing.

Calycanth: I'm waiting impatiently for your husband to come home so you guys can get back to business, and I can start rooting for you again.

Tickletoes: I'm very glad that you are back. I think it's good that you took the time to let yourself grieve, I think that's really healthy for you. I also think it's good that you knew when it was time to try to move on through that grief. And it's very normal and healthy that you have mixed feelings about all the pregnancies at work. And I think I told you this already, but one of my best friends is her mom's second child after two miscarriages. No treatments or anything necessary, it just started working for her. I'm glad it sounds like you have such a great doctor, and I'm glad that the doctor sounds so hopeful for you! As to the bike and the slipping chain, it really is unsettling when that happens, but the upside is that it's usually pretty easily fixed yourself. I recommend getting a book about basic bike maintenance and learning how to fix the most common and easily fixed things - not because it's necessary most of the time, but because I found it really empowering to be able to fix my bike myself. Usually a slipping chain is caused by a shifter that's slightly too loose or too tight. I could probably give you remote instruction in the likely fix (which is really easy, although hard to describe. It's just tightening or loosening a screw) if you want. PM me. And I'll ask my BIL what book he read about bike maintenance, he really liked it and it was very clear. Regarding running, if you do want to try and start, I found that as much as I hated running before (and that was a lot), I started liking it (yes, actually liking it) when I got a heart rate monitor. It gave me a specific number that showed my output - and when it felt unreasonably hard, it was because I was actually working really hard. It might be good for use on your bike-commute, too. I don't know about you, but it gave me a real sense of accomplishment to be able to see (and record) my exercise efforts in a quantitative way.

Boots: I don't know if you're still reading here or not, but I'm thinking about you. I hope you're doing well. Hugs!

Taxlady: I'm nearly certain you're not reading here, but you're in my thoughts too. I miss you and have tons of good thoughts for you.

Newbies: Hello and welcome! I hope you all have relatively easy, fast journeys.

Everyone: I'm still hoping hard for all of you. I'm going to try to keep up with you all until you're all pregnant. Which will be soon. Keep on supporting each other, this is a good, strong community. Love to all!

On a farm with our kiddo (nearly 2), two dogs, two cats, ten goats, two donkeys, nine sheep, a bunch of chickens, and a husband (in the winters). We have another on the way!

Hi Folks! Hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was nice and relaxing, thankfully the weather here was totally perfect- 80, sunny, clear blue skies. Finished Bossypants by Tina Fey in one day. That book is hilarious!

Also, I was looking back on last month's chart... My sweetie and I are pretty busy and nearly our entire relationship we've had "relations" about once a week. Once we started talking about conceiving, I read TCOYF cover-to-cover and learned so much. I also figured out that on our 1x week schedule we'd have a hard time conceiving anytime soon, so I started tracking my cycles more closely (have been using a simple period tracker on my phone for a few years, but I upgraded to a more complex app). Last month we stopped using the pullout method but were still on the once a week or so schedule, and according to my tracking probably missed the window. I showed this to my husband and amazingly it resulted in increased BD frequency this cycle! So that's been fun.

I do feel a lot more confident now that I've been tracking. When my friend first told me about TCOYF several years ago I just didn't think it applied to me since I wasn't trying to get pregnant. Now I wish I read it so many years ago- it gave me even more respect for the complexity and beauty of the interactions between hormones and organs. It's so amazing. I'm still kind of half-assed about temping- I did not do it while AF was here and I remember to do it about every other day. It seems fairly simple; in the past few months I've noticed that for me anything in the 97's is low, anything in the 98s is high. It was really cool (if disappointing) to see my temp drop the day before AF came- it was so useful to know it was right around the corner, and good to know things appear to be working properly.

Anyway-- happy Monday, hope everyone is doing well and anyone on the East Cost weathered the storm safely. Baby dust to all!

Foster mom, married to DH (foster dad!)

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TTC officially begins this week at the end of my cycle - no fertility chart yet, as I will spend the first month of "trying" not trying too hard and cleansing my system of birth control. I'm curious to know about nutrition, vitamin supplementation, and fitness while TTC.

I'm 31, this will be my first baby. I have kitties and a puppy and the a fabulous DH.

Hykue, thanks for the encouragement and it's good to know you're still in the journey with us. :) *hugs* You are going to be such a fantastic mother. Rosie too! Love you girls.

CountryGirl, you mentioned your acupuncturist... how often do you go? My chiropractor is an acupuncturist as well, and I'm going every 2 weeks. I've been really pleased with my overall health benefits from each visit. She's a little bit out there (I held a crystal on my last visit) but I actually feel better when she "cleanses" me and does adjustments.

Viddy, TCOYF is the bomb and DH calls it my Bible. I read it sometimes just for fun. It's sandwiched between The Help (I'm the last woman in America to read it) and Griftopia by Matt Taibbi (amazing writer and compelling story, although I'm probably near the bottom of the IQ minimum for reading it, ha!).

AFM, I had a dr appt scheduled for today at 2, which meant I had to nip out of school early and another teacher covered my last class. When I showed up at 1:45, I was told my dr (I'm new to this clinic) had to leave for an emergency c-section. BUMMER. I was so bummed that I actually felt my bottom lip quiver when the nurse told me we had to reschedule (maybe I'm around small children too much!!). I think she felt sorry for me so I get to go back tomorrow at 3. Fingers crossed! So I came on home and took at OPK and it was POSITIVE! Smily face! Yippee! Going to get busy later tonight with DH... :)

My question for all of you ladies---since I am seeing a new doctor, I think he will probably want to do a pap smear and normal pelvic exam. HOWEVER, I am due to O tomorrow or the next day and that's when my appt has been moved to (tomorrow). Should I go ahead with the exam? Or should I explain that I am TTC and maybe don't want to risk *anything* interferring with this month's shot at conceiving?? Am I being paranoid and there's no risk involved? Internet research is all over the place on the issue (some say wait, others say it doesn't matter). WWBJD? (What Would Bajingo Juicers Do?) HELP!!

Hello Ladies. I hope the weekend treated you all well. I took my freshmen college students to volunteer in the soup kitchen today and they did wonderfully. The amazing retired people who are full-time volunteers (they are totally my heros) kept telling me how responsible and cheerful they all were and how organized I was. It was really good for the ego. So school is back in full swing now, as in AF.

Lilac- its funny how that worked for a few of us- school starting off with a bang (or a flood), so to speak

Andaluza- My husband said something similar in sports analogy terms-"even if you have a sprained wrist, you sometimes can make a free throw" or was it a 3 point shot? I agree, expect we have been trying for quite a while, so there is definitely something going on, which I am now working on with the acupuncture.

Team Viddy- I also have learned a lot since I started charting seriously. The downturn in temp a couple days before AF bummed me out too.

Pitchounette-I go to acupuncture once a week, once for each stage of my cycle: 1) Menstruation, 2) Building towards ovulation 3) Ovulating 4) Nourishing the womb. I have only gone for a month, so I am not an old hand yet, but I find that it is really relaxing. I leave feeling good and I think I even noticed some changes in my cycle this month- I O'd a day later, and some of my PMS signs were not as bad: less breast tenderness, and less irritability . I let some of the changes fool me into being too hopeful a few days, but I still think these are good signs.

I have joined the Bitter Sushi thread as well (if anyone else is on both) to get (and give) some advice and sympathy from others who have been trying for a long time like I have. I wish you quick positives, but if not hang in there and keep working at it (remember that's supposed to be the fun part).

Me College Literature Professor (36) and DH (35) married 7/05, together since 1/99; Mom to two lovely and fierce little girls: DD1 2/06 and, after 18 months TTC (and a couple years NTNP), DD2 born 7/3/12! Dedicated AP parent who is for selective (most) vaccination.

Hi TeamViddy, I'm glad the bd has become more frequent. I think that some people say that every other day during the fertile period is a good tempo. I know what you mean about the power of temping. I can see how it might get stressful, though, especially in the 2ww, which is where I am now--they aren't super high, but I also haven't had a dramatic drop yet, so I just can't figure it out. Tomorrow is the cd I started spotting last cycle before af came, and it was also the first one like this one that I didn't have midcycle bleeding, so even though I ovulated later this time, I am a little anxious to think I might start spotting tomorrow.

Welcome Calpurnia7! These boards have a wealth of information about all of the subjects you mention, which I've been searching for many months!

Pitchounette, I don't know about the risk, but I would talk to the doc. I'm sure he'll be understanding or appease your fears if there's nothing to worry about (although I would not want to do an internal exam or pap around o). Actually, I think you are supposed to avoid intercourse for days before the pap, so maybe just treat this as an informational visit with initial assessment?

Hi CaCountryGirl, I'm glad that your students did so well at the soup kitchen. I find that sometimes at that age they need a little nudge to open up to volunteer work and it really opens their eyes to experiences that are usually so different from their own. Hope that your numbers get to where you want them, very soon!

AFM, nothing new. I should get my results tomorrow for progesterone and the unlikely beta, so it will be informative.

Happy - I hope the grapefruit juice works for you! This cycle I decided to try it and was drinking it like crazy for the first two weeks and I think it helped me to finally have some EWCM and boosted my estrogen in general, which I assume is the reason I ovulated 2-3 days earlier than expected. I don't know if it was the grapefruit juice that gave me my BFP this time, but I'm sure it didn't hurt. And it's soooo yummy -- Enjoy!

Welcome to calpurnia7, I added you to the list at the front of the page.

Yesterday was pretty cool. Went on a field trip to see "Body Worlds" at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The plasticized bodies were just amazing to see how the human body is put together. What I came away with - the uterus hovers over the bladder. I guess all those slice shots of human reproductive organs never gave me that context. The vagina makes the long piece of the L, then the uterus makes the short piece of the L hovering over the bladder. They had a movie of how the insides of a woman change as pregnancy progresses. Simply amazing how the intestines get pushed out of the way as the pregnancy progresses. They also had little humans at all stages of development from 5 weeks to 42. Babies look so human like by 9 weeks.

Came home to a glob of EWCM but then nothing this morning. Time to get the BD going! This weekend I should O.

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To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. born 12/21/13 at 40 weeks 2 days! 3/52 crafts in 2014 Ramsey's BS1: Done! 2/17/12 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. BS 2 goal: 6/7/17 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. no sperm initial DX 3/23/12 BFP 4/7/13!

Yesterday was pretty cool. Went on a field trip to see "Body Worlds" at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The plasticized bodies were just amazing to see how the human body is put together. What I came away with - the uterus hovers over the bladder. I guess all those slice shots of human reproductive organs never gave me that context. The vagina makes the long piece of the L, then the uterus makes the short piece of the L hovering over the bladder. They had a movie of how the insides of a woman change as pregnancy progresses. Simply amazing how the intestines get pushed out of the way as the pregnancy progresses. They also had little humans at all stages of development from 5 weeks to 42. Babies look so human like by 9 weeks.

That sounds like a really cool exhibit!

Married to my favorite man in '07. Our firstborn came along in April 2012 (HBC), and our second is on the way, due sometime in May 2014 (planning an HBAC).

TeamViddy, that article about going off BCPs is awful. I feel so sorry for the woman. When I went off BCPs in April, I figured I would be pregnant within a few months. Yeah, right. I had taken them for the last 15 years because of cramps that were debilitating. Now the debilitating cramps are back and especially the last 2 months, I have been praying I was pregnant so I wouldn't get those cramps again. The whole "first day of teaching, big cramp day" was terrible for me. I have to work and having pain that bad is no fun. Since being off, I can attest to the emotionalness that wasn't present when I was on the pill. Between those emotions and the TTC, am I pregnant thinking 2 weeks a month, it gets sort of crazy. I think my body has "regulated" itself and from my temps I have ovulated each month. Now to get the perfect timing with intercourse so sperm meets egg!

Have a great day!

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To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. born 12/21/13 at 40 weeks 2 days! 3/52 crafts in 2014 Ramsey's BS1: Done! 2/17/12 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. BS 2 goal: 6/7/17 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. no sperm initial DX 3/23/12 BFP 4/7/13!

lilacvioletiris and calpurnia7- It just dawned on me that it probably wasn't a good thing to share. I am really sorry-- all of my close friends chide me for not getting social nuances, jokes, what I should and shouldn't talk about and that was probably inappropriate. I just was thinking it was relevant, not "Hey, I see you're going through this, here is a terrible story." Jeez, I am really sorry... I hope it wasn't a terrible thing to read. I just thought it would be interesting to hear about other peoples' experiences. Sometimes I totally don't get it...

Foster mom, married to DH (foster dad!)

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lilacvioletiris and calpurnia7- It just dawned on me that it probably wasn't a good thing to share. I am really sorry-- all of my close friends chide me for not getting social nuances, jokes, what I should and shouldn't talk about and that was probably inappropriate. I just was thinking it was relevant, not "Hey, I see you're going through this, here is a terrible story." Jeez, I am really sorry... I hope it wasn't a terrible thing to read. I just thought it would be interesting to hear about other peoples' experiences. Sometimes I totally don't get it...

Ha! Wow, sounds like a woman without a support group. I went off of birth control for a year a few years ago... yea I had pimples, I was moody, blah blah blah. I run marathons and it takes a fair amount of keeping myself focused, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. My coach broke her hand in the swimming (first leg) of a full Ironman. She saw her husband during the bike ride, when she still had over 20 miles to bike and a full marathon to run, and she started crying and told him that she didn't want to keep going. He said this, "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. But if you're going to do this, you need to get your head in the game."

I know that hormones are tough. Acne is awful. But life is all about transitions. Aside from that year off of the pill, I've been on hormonal contraceptives for 10 years. I don't expect it to be easy, but I do expect it to be new. I'm cleaning up my diet, continuing the exercise, and hydrating. I'm also going to start Bikram yoga, that's supposed to really help with hormonal imbalances and is great to practice throughout pregnancy. I have my head in the game. And if I get acne, I have an excuse to hit the day spa and get a facial.

TeamViddy, I didn't see it as a problem, it just reminds me that everyone's experience is different. Our end goals are the same - healthy baby - but the path we take to get there has to fit our body chemistry and life circumstances. I second the idea that the woman has no support network (or at least a very limited one). Having people to talk to about things makes life easier and I know I am not alone. By "awful" I meant it is a sad situation that with support could have been made less stressful. I don't ever want my DH to be afraid of coming home and getting his head bit off.

EWCM is increasing each day. Which day will I O this month?

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To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. born 12/21/13 at 40 weeks 2 days! 3/52 crafts in 2014 Ramsey's BS1: Done! 2/17/12 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. BS 2 goal: 6/7/17 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. no sperm initial DX 3/23/12 BFP 4/7/13!

Calpurnia7, have you looked at the information on fertilityfriend.com? It's very thorough and is like a summary of the fertility bible Taking charge of your fertility. But the ff site is free for that information, so it will familiarize you with the terminology and give you a better awareness of everything.

So happy for you, TeamViddy! I hope that this is your month.

AFM, my beta was neg as I expected, but my progesterone was great according to my gyn, so that's good to know. I have started very lightly spotting (tmi--light brown?) and have a backache, and think this means that af is on her way. Other signs have been major craving for dark chocolate covered almonds--yum!

I hope everything is going well for everyone and you have great things planned for the weekend.

Who would like to do the thread next month (October)? I have done it the last couple of months and I am ready to pass on the the fun. Giving everyone some time to think about it.

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To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. born 12/21/13 at 40 weeks 2 days! 3/52 crafts in 2014 Ramsey's BS1: Done! 2/17/12 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. BS 2 goal: 6/7/17 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. no sperm initial DX 3/23/12 BFP 4/7/13!

Hi, everyone! I'm 38 and TTC #1. Dh and I tried a few years ago for about 16 months, and, then, well, life got in the way. We moved, I went back to school, and we've both changed jobs a couple of times. And now we're ready to try again! We ditched the birth control in February and I've been making a stab at tracking my cycles since the beginning of the summer. I'm looking into fertility testing as our track record from when I was in my early 30s wasn't good and there's no reason to think anything has improved since then.

I'm looking forward to getting to know y'all! And so many teachers! I worked in education for years and work as a type of career counselor now.

Calpurnia7, have you looked at the information on fertilityfriend.com? It's very thorough and is like a summary of the fertility bible Taking charge of your fertility. But the ff site is free for that information, so it will familiarize you with the terminology and give you a better awareness of everything.

Andaluza, I got on board with ff.com and it's so helpful! I'm getting the courses emailed to me and things are starting to make a lot of sense. I don't want to stress too much over the charting quite yet, but it is nice having an idea of what's happening when and how I can tell. Thanks!